Inspired by the life around me!

CHRISTIE M NICKLAY

Born in Southeast Minnesota, I am a contemporary realism and sometimes painterly artist who works primarily in acrylics and watercolors, but I also enjoy working in oils, pastels and colored pencil.

My artistic journey began as a child when I would draw anything and everything on anything and everything I could find. I drew constantly. There was a time when you could even find my artwork on the walls of my father’s dairy barn. Early on, teachers recognized and encouraged my artistic abilities. Eventually, I became the primary artist for my high school newspaper, clubs and organizations. As I grew, I had dreams of being a doctor, but my father encouraged me to attend art school, which I did and acquired my Commercial Art degree and Fine Art diploma.

After over 30 years in the graphic arts and marketing field, I realized I had merely put my real creative dreams on hold. Working in marketing was my profession, but my childhood love for painting and drawing continued to whisper in my ear. Letting go of the belief that ‘one is only an artist if she paints every day’ made a huge difference in how I felt about making art…and how often. When I’m not painting, I’m playing violin, taking pictures, reading, gardening, or working on other ‘creative’ projects.

Now, with an art studio at home, I dedicate time to painting and drawing a variety of subjects. My diverse subject matter is inspired largely by the life around me. My art captures the essence of my subjects and conveys an appreciation for life’s simple pleasures.

One challenge for me is not feeling guilty about the time I spend on my art, especially when there are “chores” to be done around the house. The biggest challenge, however, is to not compare myself to others. I want my art to be what I want and feel, so why do I worry about whether someone is better than me? It’s definitely a challenge.

I have several goals when it comes to learning about art. 1) Creating a likeness. I consider myself a realism artist, so I want my pieces to be true to the real thing. 2) I want to become better at color harmony. Too often I start mixing colors and end up with mud. 3) Lastly, I want to improve my drawing skills in regard to likeness, proportion and depth of detail.

I think the Drawing Academy is an amazing program. I’ve followed it for a few years now and read the newsletters and watch the videos.

I haven’t signed up for the course yet because it’s a lot of money that I can’t justify spending on myself. I’m hoping to win the course so that I can experience the knowledge that I know is waiting there for me without the guilt of spending so much money on myself.

I hope people vote for me because they like what I’ve shown them and would like to see me move forward in my artistic journey. Vote for me and become a part of my art history!

http://www.christienicklay.com